Steve Casera | University of Neuchâtel (original) (raw)

Papers by Steve Casera

Research paper thumbnail of Improving usability of collaborative scientific visualization systems

This paper presents the key features of a collaborative visualization system. It discusses the ma... more This paper presents the key features of a collaborative visualization system. It discusses the main challenges of remote collaboration in the case of scientific visualization and presents our solutions. Our system provides a group of geographically distributed scientists the means of sharing their data, of interactively creating visualizations, and of analyzing them. This allows for shorter turnaround times compared to a more traditional approach. Our main objectives are to improve the ease of use as well as the cognitive efficiency and to minimize the waiting time for the participants in collaborative efforts. The main challenges we identified include the support of network heterogeneity, portability, ease-of-use, privacy, configuration of the working mode, strategy for coordinating access to shared resources, and for granting, respectively controlling permissions of operation. Real-time collaboration in current distributed groupware workspaces is often a difficult and awkward proc...

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboration in scientific visualization

2008 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design, 2008

This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An exper... more This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An experiment with several groups of users has been conducted to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of collaborative tools in such a system. In particular, we compared audio and textual communication support for information exchange as well as the use of graphical indicators. Our analysis revealed the importance of the choice of the conversation means and, surprisingly, the little influence of indicators. Furthermore, the experiments have demonstrated that the system's usability can be significantly improved through appropriate grounding and awareness support. User satisfaction therefore increases, which in turn can potentially also increase the quality of the collaborative work.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboration in scientific visualization

Advanced Engineering Informatics, 2010

This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An exper... more This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An experiment with several groups of users has been conducted to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of collaborative tools in such a system. In particular, we compared audio and textual communication support for information exchange as well as the use of graphical indicators. Our analysis revealed the importance of the choice of the conversation means and, surprisingly, the little influence of indicators. Furthermore, the experiments have demonstrated that the system's usability can be significantly improved through appropriate grounding and awareness support. User satisfaction therefore increases, which in turn can potentially also increase the quality of the collaborative work.

Research paper thumbnail of A Collaborative Extension of a Visualization System

Distributed Frameworks for Multimedia Applications, 2005

This paper presents an extension of the single-user scientific visualization system ZoomIn to a c... more This paper presents an extension of the single-user scientific visualization system ZoomIn to a collaborative system. We discuss the principal challenges of remote collaboration in the case of scientific visualization and present the solutions realized for ZoomIn. The main issues identified include the support of slow/fast network connections, portability, ease-of-use, privacy, configuration of the working mode and permissions. We describe

Research paper thumbnail of Improving usability of collaborative scientific visualization systems

This paper presents the key features of a collaborative visualization system. It discusses the ma... more This paper presents the key features of a collaborative visualization system. It discusses the main challenges of remote collaboration in the case of scientific visualization and presents our solutions. Our system provides a group of geographically distributed scientists the means of sharing their data, of interactively creating visualizations, and of analyzing them. This allows for shorter turnaround times compared to a more traditional approach. Our main objectives are to improve the ease of use as well as the cognitive efficiency and to minimize the waiting time for the participants in collaborative efforts. The main challenges we identified include the support of network heterogeneity, portability, ease-of-use, privacy, configuration of the working mode, strategy for coordinating access to shared resources, and for granting, respectively controlling permissions of operation. Real-time collaboration in current distributed groupware workspaces is often a difficult and awkward proc...

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboration in scientific visualization

2008 12th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design, 2008

This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An exper... more This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An experiment with several groups of users has been conducted to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of collaborative tools in such a system. In particular, we compared audio and textual communication support for information exchange as well as the use of graphical indicators. Our analysis revealed the importance of the choice of the conversation means and, surprisingly, the little influence of indicators. Furthermore, the experiments have demonstrated that the system's usability can be significantly improved through appropriate grounding and awareness support. User satisfaction therefore increases, which in turn can potentially also increase the quality of the collaborative work.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboration in scientific visualization

Advanced Engineering Informatics, 2010

This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An exper... more This paper discusses the key collaborative features of scientific visualization systems. An experiment with several groups of users has been conducted to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of collaborative tools in such a system. In particular, we compared audio and textual communication support for information exchange as well as the use of graphical indicators. Our analysis revealed the importance of the choice of the conversation means and, surprisingly, the little influence of indicators. Furthermore, the experiments have demonstrated that the system's usability can be significantly improved through appropriate grounding and awareness support. User satisfaction therefore increases, which in turn can potentially also increase the quality of the collaborative work.

Research paper thumbnail of A Collaborative Extension of a Visualization System

Distributed Frameworks for Multimedia Applications, 2005

This paper presents an extension of the single-user scientific visualization system ZoomIn to a c... more This paper presents an extension of the single-user scientific visualization system ZoomIn to a collaborative system. We discuss the principal challenges of remote collaboration in the case of scientific visualization and present the solutions realized for ZoomIn. The main issues identified include the support of slow/fast network connections, portability, ease-of-use, privacy, configuration of the working mode and permissions. We describe